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BRIEF: Missing Wilmington girl with autism found quickly

Star-News - 7/3/2018

July 03--WILMINGTON -- A 7-year-old girl with autism was found Tuesday morning about a half hour after she was reported missing, according to a release from the Wilmington Police Department.

The girl's father reported her missing at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, saying the girl, who is nonverbal, had "disappeared from the house at some point during the night," the release said. Police dispatched all units, including its SABLE helicopter, to search for the girl. The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office also responded and dispatched its tracking dog, the release stated.

She was found, unharmed, shortly after 8 a.m. in the 3500 block of Aster Court using a tracking signal registered with Project Lifesaver, which aids in the search and rescue of at-risk populations in the community.

"We encourage family members of those with Alzheimer's, dementia, Down syndrome, autism or other brain related disorders that cause someone to wander or to be difficult to locate to enroll in the Project Lifesaver program," the release stated. "GPS monitoring also has the potential to cut down on rescue times."

Reporter Tim Buckland can be reached at 910-343-2217 or Tim.Buckland@StarNewsOnline.com.

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